By Claire Cartmill

Copyright newsletter

The 2025 Labour Party Conference has heard compelling arguments for why Northern Ireland is ideally positioned to lead UK innovation efforts, during a dedicated event hosted by the Northern Ireland Chamber of Commerce and Queen’s University Belfast. Speaking to party members at Liverpool’s ACC, Suzanne Wylie, chief executive of NI Chamber, emphasised Northern Ireland’s strong economic performance and untapped potential. She said: “This government has said that growth is its number one ambition. In the past year, Northern Ireland has outperformed the UK – we are here today with Queen’s University to talk about what is driving that and what more we can do.” Describing Northern Ireland as an ideal environment for testing new ideas, she added: “As a region, Northern Ireland is the ideal place for testing new ideas. Whether that is in advanced manufacturing or AI, we are big enough to demonstrate impact but small enough to get things done quickly. But there is so much more that government can do, from easing red tape to ensuring our voice is heard in the delivery of the Industrial Strategy.” Dr Ryan Feeney, vice-president and registrar at Queen’s University Belfast, underlined the importance of collaboration between academia, business, and policymakers. “Queen’s, along with our trusted partner, the Northern Ireland Chamber, are critical institutions in delivering the UK Government’s Plan for Change,” he added. “This event recognises the strength of a ‘triple-helix’ approach between higher education, business, and policymakers when it comes to maximising our economic impact on a UK-wide basis. “Bringing business and industry together, and combining Queen’s world-class research and innovation, with NI Chamber’s significant policy influence, seeks to strengthen evidence-based insights and partnerships to deliver growth and prosperity for Northern Ireland and beyond.”